| Major Depressive Disorder
Aplenzin vs Effexor XR
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for major depressive disorder.Deep comparison between: Aplenzin vs Effexor with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsEffexor has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Aplenzin based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Effexor but not Aplenzin, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Aplenzin
Effexor
At A Glance
Oral
Once daily
Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor
Oral
Daily
SNRI
Indications
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Phobia, Social
- Panic Disorder
Dosing
Major Depressive Disorder Starting dose 174 mg once daily in the morning; after 4 days, increase to target dose of 348 mg once daily.
Seasonal Affective Disorder Starting dose 174 mg once daily; after 7 days, increase to target dose of 348 mg once daily in the morning; initiate in autumn, continue through winter, taper and discontinue in early spring.
Hepatic Impairment Moderate to severe (Child-Pugh 7-15): maximum 174 mg every other day; mild (Child-Pugh 5-6): consider reducing dose and/or frequency.
Renal Impairment Consider reducing dose and/or frequency in patients with GFR less than 90 mL/min.
Major Depressive Disorder Starting dose 37.5-75 mg/day; target 75 mg/day; max 225 mg/day; administered once daily with food.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Starting dose 37.5-75 mg/day; target 75 mg/day; max 225 mg/day; administered once daily with food.
Phobia, Social Recommended dose 75 mg/day; administered once daily with food; no evidence that higher doses confer additional benefit.
Panic Disorder Starting dose 37.5 mg/day for 7 days, then 75 mg/day; max 225 mg/day; administered once daily with food.
Contraindications
- Seizure disorder
- Current or prior diagnosis of bulimia or anorexia nervosa
- Abrupt discontinuation of alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or antiepileptic drugs
- Concomitant use or use within 14 days of an MAOI intended to treat psychiatric disorders
- Starting APLENZIN in a patient being treated with reversible MAOIs such as linezolid or intravenous methylene blue
- Known hypersensitivity to bupropion or any ingredient of APLENZIN
- Known hypersensitivity to venlafaxine hydrochloride, desvenlafaxine succinate, or any excipients in the formulation
- Concomitant use with MAOIs (including linezolid and intravenous methylene blue), or within 14 days of stopping an MAOI antidepressant, due to risk of serotonin syndrome
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=5%) Anorexia, dry mouth, rash, sweating, tinnitus, tremor at 300 mg/day bupropion HCl SR equivalent; insomnia, headache, nausea, dizziness, constipation, anxiety also reported.
Serious Suicidal thoughts and behaviors, seizure, hypertension, activation of mania or hypomania, psychosis and other neuropsychiatric events, angle-closure glaucoma, hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
Postmarketing Stroke, complete atrioventricular block, myocardial infarction, Brugada pattern/syndrome, angioedema, DRESS, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, rhabdomyolysis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, aseptic meningitis.
Most common (>=5%) Nausea, somnolence, dry mouth, sweating, abnormal ejaculation, anorexia, constipation, impotence, decreased libido
Serious Serotonin syndrome, elevated blood pressure, increased risk of bleeding, angle-closure glaucoma, activation of mania/hypomania, discontinuation syndrome, seizure, hyponatremia, interstitial lung disease, eosinophilic pneumonia
Postmarketing Anaphylaxis, angioedema, QT prolongation, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia (including torsade de pointes), takotsubo cardiomyopathy, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, hyponatremia, SIADH
Pharmacology
Bupropion is an aminoketone antidepressant whose action is presumed to be mediated by noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic mechanisms; it is a relatively weak inhibitor of neuronal norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake and does not inhibit MAO or serotonin reuptake.
Venlafaxine is an SNRI whose antidepressant and anxiolytic effects are thought to be related to potentiation of serotonin and norepinephrine in the CNS through inhibition of their reuptake; it also weakly inhibits dopamine reuptake and has no significant affinity for muscarinic, H1-histaminergic, or alpha1-adrenergic receptors.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Aplenzin
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (4/12) · Step Therapy (10/12) · Qty limit (9/12)
Effexor
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (0/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (12/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Aplenzin
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Effexor
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Humana
Aplenzin
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (1/3) · Step Therapy (3/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Effexor
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (0/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
$100/momo
Aplenzin Copay Savings Program - Non-covered benefitCommercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
No savings programs available for Effexor.
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.